


Tense

by kangeiko



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Character of Color, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-23
Updated: 2007-02-23
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:32:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangeiko/pseuds/kangeiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kira, Dax, Sisko and the holosuites.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tense

**Author's Note:**

> For bluerosefairy.

"I think you'd like it."

"Hrm," Sisko said noncommittally, frowning down at the fuel efficiency reports as if his life depended on it.

"Benjamin. Anyone listening?" Dax waved a hand in front of his face.

Sisko blinked and finally surrendered at Dax's insouciant expression. "I'm listening, old man. I'm just not convinced. I'm not a real fan of holodecks." Not since coming to the station, at any rate. Holodecks were a necessary evil on starships, with months between planetfalls for the average crewmember. On Deep Space 9, though, with Bajor so close by, it was a little pointless to immerse yourself in pixelated foliage when you could have the real thing. Holodecks, no matter how accomplished, would never replace a real forest or beach - and Quark's holodeck equipment was far from accomplished. In fact, Sisko would be hard-pressed to call it adequate, and he said so in no uncertain terms.

Dax's nose wrinkled as she laughed. A maintenance person on the upper deck glanced down to see what was so amusing. "I'm not talking about a promenade through authentic English countryside, Benjamin!" She leaned in, smile wicked. "I'm talking about a holonovel."

"Oh," Sisko said, "well, in that case - _definitely_ not."

"Come on, Benjamin!" Dax wheedled. She leaned in a little closer, mouth almost touching his ear. The nosy crewmember was craning his neck into impossible angles to keep them in line of sight. "We _all_ need a little fun now and then."

Sisko looked at Dax. He looked at the crewmemember, now busily inspecting perfectly fine circuitry. He carefully put his raktajino to one side, collected Dax by virtue of grabbing her elbow and went to his office. "I'm not going to a holobrothel," he said, in a tone brooking no disagreements.

"Oh, but it's not a brothel!" As if sensing weakness, Jadzia launched into a detailed - and occasionally graphic - description of why an enactment of an early twenty-second cinematic 'hit' was in no way, shape or form, even _close_ to resembling a brothel.

A soft chime at the office door: Kira, not even pausing as she entered. "I have Doctor Bashir's reports on the -" she looked up and suddenly started, noticing dax for the first time. "Am I interrupting?"

"No!" Sisko said loudly. He threw Dax a pained glance. "Could we discuss this later? _Much_ later?"

"Discuss what?" Kira asked.

"Ben is thinking about joining us for our _Mars Express_ evening," Dax told her brightly.

Sisko bit down on the exasperation and went for a command tone instead. "Thank you." It came out a little pissy.

Kira was looking him up and down critically, a look of cool assessment on his face. "He might be too large for the bathing costume," she said at last.

"Oh, that will simply add to his character," Dax said, turning to smile encouragingly at Sisko. "I remember, back on Earth, when you were about twenty and I was -"

"Thank you," Sisko said again, helplessly. Neither Kira nor Dax seemed inclined to leave his office. In fact, Kira's expression had slowly shifted from dubious to - oh, good grief - _anticipatory_. He contemplated barring Dax from ever mentioning unfairly obtained knowledge - such as his Academy escapades - ever again. 

"You've convinced me," Kira finally declared. "I'm _definitely_ going to wear the red outfit."

On second thoughts, now would be a good time for unexpected visitors, Sisko thought, somewhat despairingly. Or an extended away mission.

*

fin


End file.
